Bottle-filling machine.



No. 650,532. Patented May 29', 1900;

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No. 650,532. I

G. W. FIELD.

BOTTLE FILLING MACHINE.

(Application. filed Oct. 21, 1899.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orrics.

GEORGE \V. FIELD, OF NORTH BRANCH, NEW JERSEY.

BOTTLE-FILLING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 650,532, dated May 29, 1900. Application filed October 21, 1899. Serial No. 734,362. e m l- To all 1071,0771 it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W'. FIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Branch, in the county of Somerset andState of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Bottle-Filling Machine, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in bottle-filling machines.

One object of the present invention is to improve the construction of bottle-filling machines, more especially the valve mechanism, and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient construction which will enable the filling-tubes to operate as vent-tubes also, so that the liquid delivered to the bottles will pass downward through the tubes and the air, foam, and the like pass upward through the same without interruption.

A further object of the invention is to provide'an automatically-operating valve which will close effectually and which when open will assume automatically a position which will not interfere with the discharge of the liquid or the upward passage of the air'.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In thedrawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a bottle-filling machine constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged detail views of the valve mechanism. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view on line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a tank located above a supporting-frame 2 and supported by vertical rods or standards 3, located at opposite sides of the frame, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings. The supporting-frame 2 consists of a suitable platform or horizontal portion 4, provided with H side bars 5 and supported by legs 6 to provide a bench or support for rails 7, upon which a car 8 is mounted. The car 8, which is adapted to receive the bottles to be filled,

is provided with suitable rollers or wheels 9, arranged to run upon the rails 7, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings, so that the bottles, which are designed to be arranged in transverse rows, may be brought beneath the filling-tubes of the machine.

The tank is provided at its front with aseries of flexible distributing-tubes 10, which are connected at their outer ends with horizontal branches 11 of vertically-disposed filling-tubes 12, arranged in openings 13. of a vertically-movable support 14. The horizontal branches 11 of the filling-tubes are located near the lower ends thereof at a point heneath the vertically-movable support 14, and the latter consists of a transverse bar or beam disposed horizontally and mounted on vertical guides 15. The guides 15, which extend vertically from the supporting-frame in advance of the tank, consist of rods secured to the side bars 5 and extending through guideopenings 16 of the support 14. The support 14 is moved vertically on the rods by the means hereinafter described to carry the filling-tubes into and out of engagement with the bottles or other receptacles to be filled. The filling-tubes, which are disposed vertically, are loosely arranged in the openings 13 of the support 14 and extend above the same and are capable of independent vertical movement to open and close valves 17, hinged to the lower ends of stems 18, extending entirely through the filling-tubes and connected at a point above the same with the support by yokes 19.

The valves 17 are preferably provided with support 14 and the horizontal branches 11;

but any other suitable means may be employed for engaging the lower ends of the coiled springs with the filling-tubes. As the filling-tubes are capable of a limited vertical movement independent of the support, it will be apparent that the coiled springs will firmly seat the valve against the lower ends of the filling-tubes, when they are free to operate.

In order to provide a vent for each fillingtube, the valve-stem 18 is providectwith a flat lower portion 21 equal in width to the interior diameter of the filling-tube and adapted, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings, to divide the fillingtube into two separate portions or compartments. stem forms a passage for the liquid tobe de livered to the bottles or other receptacles, and the space at the opposite side of the sa-iclsteur forms a vent for the upward passage of .air and foam. By this construction the liquid is caused to flow freely downward through the tube without interruplion, while the air and foam pass upward through the same filling-tube. The downward passage of the liquid at one side of the valve-stem and the upward passage of air at the opposite side of the same automatically tilt the valve on the lower end of the stem to prevent the same from inter fering with the free discharge of the liquid. Each filling-tube is provided near its lower end with a horizontal flange 22, forming a cap or cover for the bottle or other receptacle to be filled, and provided with an elastic coverin g 23 on its lower face for engaging the neck, of a bottle or other receptacle to cushion such engagement and also to provide an air-tight connection. The covering 23 may consist of a disk of rubber or other suitable material,

and it may be attached to the flange in any suitable manner. The lower end of the filling-tube extends beyond the flange and the elastic or cushioning material to provide a projecting seat for the valve, and it will be apparent thatwhen the cap or flange engages the mouth of a. bottle or receptacle it will close the same, and the continued downward movement of the support 14 will effect a compression of the coiled spring and an opening of the hinged valve. As soon as the bottle is filled and the cap or flange lifted therefrom the coiled spring operates to close the valve automatically, so that there is no escape of the liquid, and as the valve and the lower end of the filling-tube extend into the neck of the bottle the space occupied by them will operate to prevent the bottle from being filled to too great an extent, so that there will be no liability of the liquid overflowing and collecting in the car or carriage 8.

The flattened enlarged portion 21 of the stem isof sufficient length to prevent the liquid from flowing over it and passing from one passage to the other, and thereby interfering with the operation of the vent, and the upper end of the stem is secured to the top of the yoke, which is constructed simi- Tar to that shown and described in applica- -tion Serial No. 718,879, filed by me May 31,

1899, and consists of a cross-head 24 and rods 25. The cross-head is provided with a The space at one side of the Valyecentral opening to'receive the stem and is of the accompanying drawings.

The depressible frame 14: is operated by 4 means of a rock-shaft 28, provided at its ends with arms 29 and 30 and journaled in suit able bearings of the supporting-frame at a point-beneath the'top thereof. The arms, which are located at opposite sides of the frame, are connected with the ends of the depressible support 142 by links 31 and 32, pivoted at their upper ends to the terminals of the support 14 and at their lower ends to the arms 'of the rockshaft. The arm 30 of the rock-shaft is extended to form a handle or lever 33, provided at its outer end with a suitable grip and adapted when depressed to engage a vertical ratchet 34, whereby the fill ing-tuhes are maintained in engagement with the bottles or other receptacles while the same are being filled. The vertical ratchet preferably consists of a casting provided at intervals with teeth shouldered at the bottom and beveled at their upper edges, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings,

It will be seen that the bottling-machine is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in its construction, that it is easily operated, and that the filling-tube is divided by the valvestem into two separate passages arranged to permit the uninterrupted passage of the liquid and air, so that the air may escape as the liquid enters the receptacle. It will also be apparent that the hinged valves automatic ally swing to an inclined position when they are open to facilitate the downward passage of the liquid and the upward passage of air and foam.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details of construction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

l/Vhat is claimed is.- a

1. In a machine of the class described, a filling-tube, and a valve arranged to close the filling-tube and provided with a valve-stem located within the filling-tube at a point between the opposite sides of the same and dividing the said filling-tube into separate passages to form a vent and to permit liquid to pass freely through the tube when the valve is open, substantially as described.

' 2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a filling-tube, a valve-stem dividing the filling-tube into separate passages to form a vent, and a valve hinged to the stem and adapted when open to be swung on its pivot or pintle by the liquid and air passing through the tube, substantially as described.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a vertical filling-tube having an entrance at one side, a valve-stem passing through the tube and having an enlarged portion dividing the tube. into separate passages to form avent, and avalve connected with the stem and located beneath the tube in position for engaging the same, substantially as described.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a depressible frame having an opening, a filling-tube loosely arranged in the opening of the depressible frame, a distributing-pipe connected with the filling-tube at a point below the depressible f rame,a valve- GEORGE W. FIELD.

Witnesses:

FREDK. A. POPE, CORA HOAGLAND. 

